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Rounding in handicap calculations

mruseless

By mruseless,
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mruseless Well Established Member

mruseless

I don't keep an official USGA handicap, instead I use software to calculate it. I'm sure there are some of you out there that also do this.

Recently I started using a website that tracks all my statistics and also calculates handicap. It uses 2 digits after the zero, whereas the other program I have must round to the nearest tenth (I'm not certain, I only know the output is to the nearest tenth).

With identical scores, ratings, and slopes entered, the difference between these two is significant. Currently, the program calculates a 19.8, while the website calculates a 20.48.

Does anyone know what level of precision the USGA uses to calculate handicaps?

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"There are only 3 kinds of people in this world -- Those who can count, and those who can't."

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$2 Nassau Great Member

$2 Nassau

Just had this conversation with someone.

USGA rounds DOWN to the lowest tenth.

So if your handicap index is calculated to a 20.48. You are a 20.4.

Perfect example is my USGA handicap, if I take my best 10 score differentials, add them all up, multiply by .96 and then divide by 10, it comes out to 12.9984. But I am still a 12.9, not a 13.0.

Still doesn't explain the more than 1/2 stroke difference in your numbers though. Could be how they calculate the differentials from par for each round. One program may round and the other may not.

USGA uses normal rounding. If you play a round and your differential from par is 13.78, they round to 13.8. If it was 13.72 for example, they'd round to 13.7.
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mruseless Well Established Member

mruseless

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Just had this conversation with someone.

Good info. I think you have hit it on the head. The website calculates each differential, keeping two decimal places. I think the other software rounds each differential. The cumulative difference equates to a half-point.

This happens to be a very important half-point for me, because the break point for the ESC rule is 20!

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"There are only 3 kinds of people in this world -- Those who can count, and those who can't."

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$2 Nassau Great Member

$2 Nassau

Good info. I think you have hit it on the head. The website calculates each differential, keeping two decimal places. I think the other software rounds each differential. The cumulative difference equates to a half-point.

Yup, every little bit matters!! For ESC and also for calculating course handicaps.

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underparnv Well Established Member

underparnv

$2 Nassau is spot on. If you want to know how to calculate your own handicap, be sure to visit the USGA's page. It breaks it down:

http://www.usga.org/playing/handicap...n_10.html#10-1

Enjoy!

underparnv

That's how I like my golf. A kick in the face. -Ben

Driver: 983E 8.5* w/ stock stiff flex shaftIrons: MP60 - 2 through 9 irons (swap out the 2 iron for my three wood at some courses)Wedges: 588 Chrome - 47* Pitching Wedge, 53* Gap Wedge, 56* Sand Wedge MP-T Black Ni - 60* Lob WedgePutter:.....
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sacm3bill Great Member

sacm3bill

This happens to be a very important half-point for me, because the break point for the ESC rule is 20!

You do know that you use your *course* handicap for the ESC rule, not your raw handicap, right? Your course handicap could be much greater than or much less than 20, depending on that course's slope.

Bill

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mruseless Well Established Member

mruseless

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You do know that you use your *course* handicap for the ESC rule, not your raw handicap, right? Your course handicap could be much greater than or much less than 20, depending on that course's slope.

Good point. I usually don't take the time to calculate course handicaps. When I bet with friends, we negotiate strokes, and up until now it hasn't mattered much since my course handicap is almost always a little higher than my straight handicap for the courses I play.

But I'll have to start doing that. What is the easiest way?

--------------------------
"There are only 3 kinds of people in this world -- Those who can count, and those who can't."

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iacas Hall of Fame Member

iacas

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But I'll have to start doing that. What is the easiest way?

Handicap Index * (slope rating / 113)

Round up or down to the nearest full stroke.

Erik J. Barzeski — ⛳ I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
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sabram Well Established Member

sabram

If you don't want to do the math, most courses have a two columned chart available in the pro shop or locker room that lists the course handicap for every index.
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jwnolefan Member

jwnolefan

The USGAdoes not "round" down, they simply drop everything after the tenths when determining your index. Each individual score differential is rounded normally to the tenths digit.

in my grom stand bag:

Driver: HiBore 9.5* fujikura stiff
3w: HiBore 15* fujikura stiff
2i hybrid: HiBore fujikura stiff3-sw: MP-57 +1/2 2* up stiff steelPutter: 2ball SRT 36"GPS: SG3 Sky caddieCart:Clicgear 2.0Home Course: Lake Spanaway http://www.lakespanawaygc.com

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sacm3bill Great Member

sacm3bill

The USGAdoes not "round" down, they simply drop everything after the tenths...

Well technically, that's what "rounding down" is.

Otherwise though, you're correct: Normal rounding for differentials, rounding down for the index.

Bill

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jwnolefan Member

jwnolefan

Well technically, that's what "rounding down" is.

I knew someone would say that....

in my grom stand bag:

Driver: HiBore 9.5* fujikura stiff
3w: HiBore 15* fujikura stiff
2i hybrid: HiBore fujikura stiff3-sw: MP-57 +1/2 2* up stiff steelPutter: 2ball SRT 36"GPS: SG3 Sky caddieCart:Clicgear 2.0Home Course: Lake Spanaway http://www.lakespanawaygc.com

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